At Plato Games, we encourage the use of play as an effective learning tool. This approach is the result of company owner and game developer, Gail Nelson’s, own experience in helping her daughter absorb her education. Gail knew that her daughter was bright and intelligent, though she was struggling to grasp some early mathematical concepts. Gail spent time listening to her daughter, watching her play, and observing how she learned, then processed the information and began developing more effective ways of sharing information with her daughter. What worked best, what helped her daughter firmly understand her education, were the games Gail developed.

Gail had managed to find a way to make learning fun, not hard, for her daughter and it vastly improved her daughter’s abilities in school. In fact, her daughter’s teacher was so impressed, she asked Gail to create other math games to engage the rest of her class that year, and for years to come.

Now, with the launch of her own educational game company, Gail Nelson continues to devote herself to unlocking the potential of each child. Each game presents information through interest-based themes, and offers several ways for children to absorb their education. Gail takes time playing with children at their level, finding out what really excites them, and applies it to her games so that she can create positive early learning experiences, leading the way for positive learning experiences throughout the future.

Children are brilliant, extraordinary people, with enormous capacity for learning. What most children have in common is that they absorb information about their world through variations of sight, sound, and touch. What is unique to each child, is how they interpret the information they receive. Some process and comprehend their education quickly and easily, while others, equally bright and brilliant, may struggle to come to the same conclusions.

When children are young, they just want to fit in and be like everyone else; their self-esteem is delicate. If they are unable to learn the same way as their peers, they may feel inadequate or inferior. What they don’t know is that what makes them different is what makes them exceptional. They’re ability to perceive information differently, to come to different conclusions when presented with the same information, is a tremendous gift. It’s what will help them excel as adults, overcome obstacles, and allow them to shine above their competition. So, rather than try to force the round peg through a square hole, we at Plato Games, are dedicated to embracing the unique, the different, the individual.

“Learning should be fun, not hard,” says Gail Nelson, Plato Games president and owner, “Kids go further when they can play to learn.”